Back in seminary, my fellow students would often warn each other about the difficulties of being an associate pastor. Having spent the 11 years of my ministry in that role, I can share from personal experience and observation how it is possible for a staff pastor to have a faithful and fulfilling ministry.
Dispelling the myth
Ministry is a gift from God, not a self-generated calling. Therefore, the significance of the role of staff pastor is predetermined by its relationship to the work of the kingdom not by a concocted subservient relationship to a supervising pastor. By contrast, management in the world's model exalts all blue-chip stars to top positions. Anything less is considered second best. The church, however, is a community dependent upon individuals working collegially, united in a common goal. All of us as ministers are interconnected as "members one of another" (Eph. 4:25; see also 1 Cor. 12).
John Donne observed that "no man is an island.... We are all part of the whole. Contemporary readings in Robert Bellah's Habits of the Heart and Thomas Peters' In Search of Excellence and A Passion for Excellence support this scriptural concept. As members of Christ's body, we must remember that God calls us not to be individually "successful," but to be faithful to Him and to one another. Any fruit from our labor is a blessing through the Spirit, not something necessary to impress others that we are living right. The martyrs of Christian history all bore witness to this truth. So can I, after years of ministry as a staff pastor. Whatever your own role is in the body of Christ, please consider my observations and suggestions.
The privilege of prayer
The greatest occupational and personal privilege we have is to talk with God and know He hears us. I daily pray for three personal blessings. First, for love, that I may reflect Christ in everything said and done. Second, for wisdom, that I may make the best choices for the sake of all with whom and for whom I minister. Third, for joy, that God will keep a bounce in my step, a smile on my face, and mirth in my heart as I experience the wonder of life: family, friends, work, and play. I also pray for my colleagues. The apostle Paul set us an example in praying with thanksgiving for partners in the gospel. He bound his life with theirs before God, showing that col leagues in the church are not just coworkers but also "partakers of ... grace" (Phil. 1:7). Together we stand before God in need of mercy. This unites us in a bond not easily broken.
The common good
One of the greatest temptations in ministry is to promote self or let others make us into an icon, or idol. This occurs when we imagine ourselves as the center of ministry and use occasions for ministry to serve our own needs. To prevent this we must stay focused on the larger picture, namely the common good of Christ's body. The question we should continually ask is How can what I do benefit God's cause and His people? Keeping this in mind fosters a spirit of mutual discipleship rather than a selfish show casing of one's own accomplishments.
Task orientation
Many jobs need doing in maintaining the life of a congregation. Ultimately, it matters not who does them, but that they get done. Otherwise, individual egos become obstacles to effective ministry.
When I first began ministry, how important it was that my name appear in all the articles I wrote for the parish newsletter! I convinced my self that this was to allow the J^m many people of our parish to know me as a minister. Actually, I was claiming my own turf from among the other staff members, more concerned that people recognize my role than I was for their participation in the ideas or events I was promoting.
Now I want all ideas and events to stand out on their own as a symbol of life in the parish rather than as a feather in my cap. What a joy it is to be free from the need to claim and protect personal territory at the expense of staff relationships and parish programming! Indeed, it is more important that the ministry of the parish continue than to know who actually does the ministry.
Willingness to change
Adaptability is a vital asset in a staff pastor. Pastors tend to enter a situation with their minds set on how things should be done. This leads to conflict and possible alienation. How ever, if one approaches any situation with a willingness to change, it is amazing what can come of it. Remember the famous serenity prayer: "God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference." Divine wisdom guides us in adjusting our own expectations or intentions as the situation requires. Often in a staff ministry, what works is a combination of everyone's ideas and efforts. The staff pastor has to be willing to change from a solo, Lone Ranger mentality to that of a team player.
In the 1991 Top Gun Air Force competition, the leading pilot, Lieut. Col. Ron Hall, gave up the best air plane to a team member who needed better equipment to improve his score. This unselfish act cost Hall the individual Top Gun award but enabled his team to take top honors in the overall competition. This brings to mind Paul's admonition to "build one another up" (1 Thess. 5:11, RSV) not one's own prestige or position, but the church team.
Loyal support
Loyalty is vital in a multi-staff ministry. As partners in the gospel, all staff members must support one an other both privately and publicly. Elements are always present that tend to drive wedges among staff members. Such political power plays are defused when church leaders covenant to talk all matters through "in staff before going to the congregation. Then the team can work with the congregation in unity and effectiveness.
For the staff pastor, loyal support may mean deference to the senior pas tor. Wisdom accepts one's limits, and treasures loyalty and harmony more than individuality and even authenticity. In turn, the wise senior pastor understands the mutuality of these virtues.
Maximizing opportunity
One advantage of a staff position is that it allows a pastor to specialize, at least to some extent. God has opened doors that I never would have anticipated or even desired as a senior or solo pastor. But as I listened to the Spirit's prompting by entering those doors labeled "chemical rehabilitation," "singles," "domestic violence," and "youth," my ministry has blossomed.
I also have had the privilege of pursuing continued education through an extensive Doctor of Ministry program. This has vitalized me and raised the level of my competence in ministry. Had I wished for a different role in this or some other congregation, it would have been poor stewardship of my circumstances. I'm eager to see how God continues to mold me in years to come.
Secure in Christ
Being grounded in the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ provides us with a personal identity and sense of value. Nobody ever can rob us of these gifts from God, but we can squander them ourselves by seeking security in what we do instead of in who we are in Christ. We are first and fore most children of God in Christ, named and claimed by the Almighty Himself. God has put a value on us as individuals that no role or office can exceed. Paul puts it like this: "Those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified" (Rom. 8:30, NIV). Se cure through our position in Christ, we can invest ourselves in our work, knowing that God has vested us with the honor and privilege of having Him as our Maker, Redeemer, and Comforter.
A final word: All of the above does not create some magic formula. The life of staff pastors is not easy, but it certainly can be fulfilling. Ministry happens anywhere we find ourselves. The core question is not "Are we doing what we want to be doing?" but "Are we doing what God wants us to be doing?" And when we let Him design our ministry, we will enjoy the unfolding of His plan throughout our years.
